Marketing, advertising & media intelligence

At the end of last year, Spotify crunched the numbers and surfed its playlists to give thanks to its users for a 'weird' 2016. Now, Spotify's brought its highly successful 'Platform for Discovery' campaign to New Zealand shores to highlight some the most bizarre habits of Kiwi listeners.

They say it takes 21 days to break a habit, so will that be the case with people saying Spark Arena instead of Vector Arena? After taking over the naming rights to the arena a few weeks ago, we speak to Spark general manager of marketing Clive Ormerod about putting Spark Arena on the map.

Good news has finally graced the music industry’s troubled financial waters with Recorded Music New Zealand reporting its second straight year of double digit growth. We talk to RMNZ’s Damian Vaughan on the meteoric ascendancy of streaming, its help in the war against piracy and the humble comeback of the vinyl record.

Former JWT executive creative director Cleve Cameron—who left his cushy job in advertising to pursue his passion for music—has released his first music video for his album Welcome to the Primal Digital, for the single ‘Do’.

Look at the credit lists of many of the nation's major ad campaigns and you're likely to spot the name Peter van der Fluit underneath those of the creative directors, account managers and directors that also contributed to the creation of the spot.

Yesterday David Bowie accomplished the impossible, and proved through death that he is immortal. The world has refused to let him die and his many faces have been scattered across the web, while his name and memory are on everyone's lips. And while he has been well covered in the media already, we just couldn’t help but write a little something on him. So here’s a few examples of Bowie’s foray into the world of advertising and business, as well his strangely accurate predictions around the future state of music.

The mode of delivery for audio has changed markedly in the past few decades, to the point where young folk tend to see a cassette tape as the modern-day equivalent of a gramophone. And a PwC report into the contribution of the music industry to the New Zealand economy shows that while total retail sales are down significantly on 2012 as a result of shifting listening habits and illegal downloading, the significant growth in online streaming is making up some of the lost ground.

For the last 16 years, Serato has been at the forefront of DJ culture and technology. Its ground breaking Pitch ‘n Time time-stretching algorithm and flagship audio mixing software product Serato DJ are industry standards. Kanye West rapped about them on one of his tracks. Eminem did the same. And now it's releasing its first mass-consumer app, Serato Pyro, a music player that beat-matches and mixes song playlists. Chief executive AJ Bertanshaw explains the company's evolution—and its Kiwi approach to marketing.

As indicated by the proliferation of headphones fastened to the ears of runners and gym goers, a personal soundtrack has become something of a necessity for an exercise regime. Given this affiliation between music and exercise, organisations such as Beats by Dr Dre has released a plethora of ads featuring sports stars using its products. Similarly, Spotify has also been making moves into this space, developing playlists specifically targeted at those engaging in exercise. And now, the music streaming service has taken it one step further by launching a feature that plays tracks matched to the pace the runner is moving at.

Following last week's announcement that Kiwi FM would be switching off, MediaWorks has now released a statement saying that new nationwide radio brand called Magic will launch on April 20. Targeted at 50- to 69-year-olds, the new station will be programmed by The Breeze content director Ian Avery and feature classic tracks from the likes of Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, Dusty Springfield and Rod Stewart, among others. And this move could make commercial sense, given the high level of disposable income this group has in its pocket.

System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian has taken on a slightly different career direction in recent years in developing a cross-sensory art exhibition that features a range of original paintings that have accompanying soundtracks.

Although most consumers aren't rushing out to purchase CDs anymore, the record industry is still chugging along. But, as illustrated by the latest stats from Recorded Music NZ, the revenue for the industry is increasingly coming from a very different source.

Advertising agency netplus is sharing the love with its clients—past, present and future—by resurrecting the cultural phenomenon that was the mix tape. The agency embarked on a Valentine’s mission to cosy up to its clients by launching a website called ‘mixplus’, a digital interface where clients the agency loves, clients its lost and clients it wants can select different mix tapes after which the appropriate '80s tunes (sourced via SoundCloud) sing out from the computer.

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I don't work in the beer industry however I do work in FMCG and the global trend towards health and wellbeing is what would of driven this brief. Perhaps the Government had indicated mandatory nutritional labelling and this was a ...

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Why we like it: Super Rugby is typically a fast-paced game, but to promote the season Sugar & Partners have slowed down the action to ensure audiences don't miss a thing. Despite the change of pace, the excited fans jumping around, motocross rider and confetti ensure the campaign continues to build on the hype generated in previous campaigns. The music by local artist Kings also helps to provide energy—did you spot him in the crowd?

Who's it for:The New Zealand Olympic Committee by Saatchi & Saatchi

Why we like it: Competing on a global stage is no easy feat, and that's before cold temperatures, wind and snow are added. This campaign takes New Zealanders behind the scenes of the Winter Olympics to see what it takes get there and hopefully win a medal. In this particular video, featuring Janina Kuzma, the choice to not add music and leave the wind as the only sound emphasises the harsh conditions she trains in and her dedication to the sport.

Who's it for: Kiwibank by Hello

Why we like it: Kiwibank is bidding farewell to student giveaways and acknowledging the demographic is not only motivated by freebies. Instead, this campaign, featuring Shortland Street's Jayden Daniels, ties into the brand's wider campaigns about investing in a locally owned bank. And if that message alone isn't enough to make students sit up and listen, the inclusion of Daniels taking his shirt off is sure to generate some attention.